GERMANY: Second arrest for German total objector Alexander Hense

German total objector Alexander Hense (DE14924) received a new
arrest of 18 days on Sunday, directly following the release from his
first arrest of 7 days (see co-alert, 11 July 2007).

Alexander Hense had been called-up for 2 July, but did not report to
his military unit. On Saturday, 7 July, military police arrested him at
23.30hrs at his parents home near Karlsruhe. The next morning he was
sent to "his" military unit in Bad Frankenhausen, and was immediately
detained. On 9 July, he was given his first arrest of 7 days.

It is general practice of the German military to keep total objectors
in at least three consecutive arrests of 21 days, before banning them
from service, and handing the case to the civilian criminal justice
system. Total objectors then face charges of "desertion", which in
theory can lead to imprisonment of up to five years. However, in
practice sentences are much lower, and range from fines to suspended
sentences of a few month of imprisonment. Non-suspended sentences have
been rare in recent years.



According to German law, military arrest is only legal when there is a
chance that the person concerned might change his mind. In cases of
total objection, this has never happened.

• War Resisters' International calls for letters of support to
  Alexander Hense

Alexander Hense, Rekrutenkompanie 5, Seehaeuser Strasse 60, 06567
Bad Frankenhausen, Germany

Email: Shadows_Friend@gmx.net

• War Resisters' International calls for letters of protest to the
  German Minister of Defense, Franz Josef Jung, or German embassies
  abroad. An email letter can be sent at
  http://wri-irg.org/co/alerts/20070717a.html.

• War Resisters' International calls for the immediate release of
  Alexander Hense, and all imprisoned conscientious objectors.
  

Andreas Speck

War Resisters' International

Archives of co-alert can be found at http://wri-irg.org/news/alerts